


I don't DO romance!

by A_Winter



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression, Feels, Gen, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Social Anxiety, Suicidal Thoughts, harsh break ups
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-05-21 16:15:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14918657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Winter/pseuds/A_Winter
Summary: Ori (word)Smith- Ori is an all-rounder author, he can write and sell absolutely anything but he refuses to write romance or include it into any of his novels, his publishers worry that there is a large market he is singling out but Ori won’t be persuaded. Some speculate that it is because the young author has never been in love but that’s not exactly true, Ori has been in love before but the relationship ended badly. Now he has no time for romance, but what happens within his mind’s eye… well no one can blame him for that.Dwalin Fundin’s family has worked Erebor publishing for years, it’s a family business and so it was expected that he joins in but unlike his Kin he wasn’t the “Bookish” type. His cousin Thorin technically ran the company as CEO following his father’s retirement but Dwalin’s own brother Balin was basically the brains behind the gig. Balin was head publisher and knew everything about everything so Thorin was more a figure head, which suited the broody bastard just fine. Dwalin on the other hand was not used to sitting on his hands, a military man he was used to having a purpose and rarely having the time to sit still. Until he was send home.





	1. Comfort Zones

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ THE TAGS! This Entire fic will be dealing with ALOT of mental health issues and general pain and angst, please keep that in mind as there are many themes that people may find upsetting!

Full Summary:   
Ori (word)Smith- Spent his childhood with his adopted brothers (Nori and Dori) writing stories about the better lives they could have had. It because an outlet and one of the only ways he could communicate. Ori Smith is an all-rounder author, he can write and sell absolutely anything but he refuses to write romance or include it into any of his novels, his publishers worry that there is a large market he is singling out but Ori won’t be persuaded. Some speculate that it is because the young author has never been in love but that’s not exactly true, Ori has been in love before but the relationship ended badly. Now he has no time for romance, but what happens within his mind’s eye… well no one can blame him for that. 

Dwalin Fundin’s family has worked Erebor publishing for years, it’s a family business and so it was expected that he joins in but unlike his Kin he wasn’t the “Bookish” type. His cousin Thorin technically ran the company as CEO following his father’s retirement but Dwalin’s own brother Balin was basically the brains behind the gig. Balin was head publisher and knew everything about everything so Thorin was more a figure head, which suited the broody bastard just fine. Dwalin on the other hand was not used to sitting on his hands, a military man he was used to having a purpose and rarely having the time to sit still. Dwalin had enjoyed his time in the Military, and he’d been a damn good soldier, but a live fire training operation gone wrong and a rookie mistake by one of his juniors had put an end to his promising career. Dwalin was lucky in a sense, he’d got out of it with only damage to his right side. Sure, his face was now a bit more scarred up, as was his body but the worst was that he’d lost a good portion of his right ear and along with it three quarters of his hearing on that side only to be replaced by a constant static within his mind. Tinnitus they’d called it as he was medically discharged, Bullshit was his response. Now with no purpose, no job and more time than he could cope with, Dwalin helped out at Erebor Publishing running their abysmal yet mostly unnecessary security team which mostly consisted of babysitting authors during signings and making sure no manuscripts were pilfered from the offices. 

 

 

 

C/W: Okay this was supposed to be a nice sweet story but I am so sorry! I really seem incapable of doing that so please be aware that there are themes in this that may be upsetting such as:  
Mental health issues, PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Suicidal/Self harmful thoughts, manipulation, bad breakups, bullying – including cyber, and more (not sure what yet because it’s still developing). 

Please do not read if you think this might hurt you, or take you to a bad space. If you need support please, please reach out to someone. A friend, family, a stranger, a councillor or your doctor. If you are struggling you do not have to be alone, even though you may feel it. And despite what those doubts and thoughts within you might claim, you are amazing and you are loved. Every single one of you, your family loves you in their own way, so do your friends and so do I! You are amazing and though it may feel impossible at times, each day you fight on is a day you are amazing and I am so Mahal damn proud of you! <3 

 

 

Chapter 1: Comfort Zones

“Ori, look I know it’s a big step and it’s out of your comfort zone but if you want to move forward it’s something you’re going to have to consider eventually.” Sighed Bilbo, as he looked at his long-time client and more importantly his friend. 

“I am happy with how things are Bilbo, I don’t see why they need to change. You’ve been editing my manuscripts since I learnt how to Spell Manuscript and you’re the one who convinced me to try Publishing them. It’s thanks to you my books are even Books, I’m not going to abandon you for some big faceless organisation.” Ori argued, scribbling away in his ideas notepad. It was something Bilbo had suggested to him when they were young, to capture all his fleeting yet brilliants thoughts, and now the young Author was never seen without one. 

“You wouldn’t be abandoning me, I can still be your editor and I will always be your friend but they can offer you a bigger cycle and a lot more coverage then I can. I’ve already made a few calls and they want to meet with you Ori, they like your work. This could mean big things for you.” 

“I don’t Want big things Bilbo, they’ll try to change me and my style. Besides you know what I’m like with new people. We’ve got a good thing Bilbo, I don’t know why you keep pushing this.” And like that the conversation was over, not because either of them left but because Ori had disappeared within himself. Bilbo had known the young lad long enough to recognise the concentration in his eyes as he furiously scribbled in his note book and know that Ori wouldn’t hear a word Bilbo said. 

Perhaps once it would have frustrated him, annoyed him even that the boy could so easily dismiss him and his advice but Bilbo also knew that Ori’s heart was in the right place. 

Ori Smith was a brilliant young Author, he’d been writing since he was old enough to hold a pen and Bilbo had met him not long after that. Bilbo and Ori when to the same school though Bilbo had been 5 years his senior, they’d met in a school Buddy program and had bonded over their mutual grief. Bilbo had lost his parents, his father to an accident years ago and his mother more recently to illness while Ori had never known his to begin with. It was a pain many of their teachers and peers could not truly understand, but they could be there for each other and while Bilbo had his relatives from both his Mother and Father’s side to care for him, Ori had a loving foster family and two protective adoptive brothers. 

The Buddy program had done wonders for the pair, more than their peers, and after discovering the shy boy’s love of writing Bilbo had becoming his first reader and later his editor. As they boys grew older Bilbo created a writer’s club, he enjoyed it himself but much preferred the reading to the writing, and eventually convinced Ori to put his work out into amateur competitions. From there Bilbo launched his own Publishing business once he graduated and Ori was his first client, they’d worked together for years but the boy had so much untapped talent that Bilbo hated seeing it go to waste. Ori had more finished manuscripts than Bilbo could count, let alone distribute with his current resources. 

Bilbo knew Ori’s potential but was also aware of the lad’s anxiety over putting himself out there, Ori took criticism very personally and a slump could take him months to get over but when inspiration hit Ori was like a machine! Bilbo also knew that Ori needed the money of a bigger publisher, as much as the young man would never admit it. Ori loved his foster family but he tried not to rely on them, so he was currently residing in a tiny flat on a rather sketchy side of town because he refused to ask for help. The lad could afford a better apartment, especially with the money he was making from his current sales, if he weren’t paying back college loans, sending money to his foster parents to help with their new volunteer projects, while also sending money to the foster/adoption program which helped him find a home. 

Ori spent so much of his money on others that Bilbo often wondered if the boy would give it all away given the chance, not that Bilbo could blame him. Bilbo had used his own inheritance, what hadn’t been pilfered by scavenging relations before he was old enough to know better, on opening Bag End Publishing and had become known as a last chance publishers as he rarely turned anyone away. 

Some of his risks paid off, some did not but either way Bilbo liked to think he was helping people fulfil their dreams but there was only so much he could do alone. Hence his unheeded advice to Ori, which the lad had been steadily ignoring for the last 12 months. Bilbo appreciated Ori’s loyalty but the boy was uncommonly stubborn about the strangest things at the strangest times. 

Bilbo merely shook his head and god up from his seat in the small café, it was one of their usual haunts because Ori’s elder adoptive brother Dori was the manager. Dori wouldn’t mind if they sat there all day working on manuscripts, it gave the man comfort to see his younger brother and know that he was safe and healthy, and simply topped up their drinks when needed and gave them space. It also meant that Ori could relax in a familiar and safe place where he didn’t need to speak to anyone new, everyone knew him here and gave him his space like a skittish woodland creature. 

Bilbo smiled at Dori and gave a small wave as the man bustled around behind the counter, at the man’s raised brow Bilbo gave a subtle shake of his head and a lopsided smile before leaving the café.


	2. Change of scenery.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introduction to Dwalin - Reminder to check tags! This whole fic is one big content warning! <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introduction to Dwalin - Reminder to check tags! This whole fic is one big content warning! <3

The heat of the sun burned Dwalin’s eyes, there was no breeze and no shade in this desert town but what there was plenty of was blood, screaming and death. Dwalin stood, outfitted in borrowed bloodied kit, in the middle of a town he shouldn’t have been in as bullets flew and young men died around him. In the distance he heard explosions, he heard men calling out to him asking for orders, for help, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, could barely breathe as the screams turned to screeches of mercy. Dwalin closed his eyes and when he opened them the desert had given way to jungle, dying seasoned soldiers to young, fresh faced recruits once smiling and eager now filled with fear. A nearly silent click that echoed with deafening finality rang through his head even as the shrieking became a kind of high pitched white noise, Dwalin smiled at the lad on the landmine even as the others backed out to a safe distance. The click became a tick and it was no longer a landmine but a bomb that sat before them, shackled to the kid’s leg. Private Matthews was saying something but Dwalin couldn’t hear it over the ticking or the shrieking, he tried to bring his hands to his ears but they too were shackled but not to the bomb. Dwalin was shackled to the ground, a safe enough distance away that all he could do was watch the tears run down Private Matthew’s face as the countdown reached Zero and the bomb exploded. 

X~X~X

Dwalin sat up, ramrod straight in his bed as sweat ran down his skin. As his mind cleaned of the horrid images Dwalin swung his legs over the edge of the bed and rested his head in his hands. Hands rubbing the bare skin of his scalp he tried to will away the thumping headache and the shrieking white noise, though he knew neither would be going anywhere as he focused on the carpet and not the flashing images from his nightmares. 

Eventually the idleness began to frustrate him as much as the noise and his headache so Dwalin rose, dressed quickly and headed for the door. In minutes, he was out of the apartment and striding down the street building up his pace until he was maintaining a brisk jog through the early morning mist. Despite being invalided back home Dwalin Fundin was a soldier, sitting still and waiting without purpose did not come naturally to him. That is not to say that Dwalin was not patient, his family would say stubborn to a fault but the military man could stake out a surveillance operation with the best of them, back when there was meaning to do so. Now however, Dwalin was without purpose and that did more damage than any bullet or damn landmine ever could. 

It had almost been 18 months since the accident, 6 since he’d been given the medical all clear and 3 since he’d been released back into civilian life and Dwalin was currently staying with his elder brother Balin. He’d tried to get his own place but the military pension he was on didn’t allow for much in this neighbourhood, that and his family gave him little choice in the matter. And they accused him of being stubborn. 

Dwalin’s family was in the Publishing business, in fact they pretty much Were the publishing business. Erebor Publishing was one of the oldest publishers in Middle Earth and Dwalin was proud that it was still family run to this day, sure they had a lot of outside help and employees but those in positions of power were still part of the Durin family tree. For example, Dwalin’s brother Balin was the head publisher and basically the boss, for all that his cousin Thorin was technically the CEO. Thorin was a natural leader and delegated well but was basically a figurehead when it came to the actual books. Like Dwalin, Thorin was more a man of action than of literature, though that was not to say either man was dim-witted or slow. Their entire family had been brought up with a rare appreciation for the written word but Dwalin and Thorin were more hands on than their parents would have preferred. Balin however had taken to the family business like a duck to water and though he knew the workings of Erebor Publishing like no other he’d turned down the position of CEO, said he enjoyed the books too much to accept. So Thorin ran the meetings and made the calls, did the TV interviews and generally sold his body and soul as the King of the mountain while Balin pulled the strings. Which suited them both fine. 

Thorin’s siblings both worked for Erebor, his brother Frerin in acquisitions & press while his sister Dis ran editing, though some wondered if she was the real reason they were the top of their industry. Despite her young family and being a single, widowed, mother Dis was a force to be reckoned with, equal to any Major Dwalin had ever known. Dis ran the editing department with an iron whip, she made sure deadlines were met and the manuscripts were perfect before they even reached publishing upstairs. Another of Dwalin’s cousins, Gloin, rand the finances, payroll and billing departments practically single handed and yet another cousin, Dain, operated a sister corporation from the Iron Hills. 

Between Dis and Balin the entire company ran smoothly with little interference needed from anyone, though interference usually came in the form Dis’s young whirlwinds Fili and Kili. The hope was that these two would one day take the reins of the company but the lads were more like Thorin and Dwalin than Balin and Dis… much to their mother’s distress. Cursed genes she often grumbled. 

Dwalin had worked at Erebor before he joined the army, all Durin kids did, running errands and transporting manuscripts but it hadn’t been a good fit for Dwalin. The tall man did not have the people skills to deal with either authors or the press, his large build and more recently his scars tended to scare people rather than put them at ease. Dwalin was also on the quiet side and more blunt than most authors could handle, worked well for issuing orders but not for pandering to oversensitive artistic types. Dwalin Fundin simply didn’t fit the family mould and yet starting today he’d be returning to Erebor as head of security… not that they’d ever really needed one before. 

It was now going to be Dwalin’s job to babysit high profile authors during signings to make sure the fans didn’t get carried away, securing manuscripts and their transportation to limit competing publishers pilfering them and train up the laughable building security team. It wasn’t anywhere near what he was trained for or what he wanted to be doing but it was better than sitting on his hands. 

If he couldn’t protect his family by protecting his country he could at least protect their assets and their asses in person.


	3. Just try it…

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ori enters Erebor...

“Dori, would you just give it a rest!” Ori grumbled as his brother fussed with his suit, Ori had finally given in to the meeting at Erebor Publishing but only so he could say ‘no thanks’ in person and go back to his life, he didn’t need more than he already had much as everyone seemed to believe differently. Ori was satisfied, if not exactly “Happy” but more exposure, stress and money wasn’t going to fix that. 

With a deep breath and a small wave goodbye to Dori, who’d be waiting outside, Ori walked into the main foyer of the ridiculously large building. It was a tall grey monstrosity which looked more like a mountain which housed a dragon than a publishing firm, at least to Ori’s overactive imagination anyway. The young author walked to the reception desk where a handsome man wearing a headset gave him a warm smile and held up a finger asking for a moment. Ori smiled nervously back as he looked around the room waiting for the receptionist to finish on his call. 

Inside the building was decorated tastefully but distantly, there was no warmth in this building like there was at Bag End. The sofas were that uncomfortable leathery plastic which would stick to you and keep you from relaxing, there was a watercooler in the corner close enough to be visible but far enough away to be uninviting as everyone would watch you as you crossed the room to use it. The art in the room was appropriately bland yet tasteful but nothing spoke of comfort or home, Ori didn’t like it and way ready to leave when the receptionist spoke to him. 

“Mister Smith I presume? Mister Durin is running a little behind schedule, if you take a seat in the meeting room he’ll join you shortly.” Ori nodded blankly, his brain frozen at this information. 

Mister Durin, as in Thorin Durin? As in CEO? Why would a CEO meet a teeny, tiny, novice author like Ori? Ori wanted to run but he was also stuck in the polite smile of the receptionist and didn’t want to seem a complete lunatic by escaping a meeting Bilbo had set up for him. Ori followed the Receptionist’s directing hand and entered the waiting meeting room, white walls, white table, one picture of some kind of plant, black chairs and a water pitcher set up with glasses. 

Ori took a glass and poured himself some water, he felt like he couldn’t breathe for some reason. He knew, He Knew, there was nothing to panic over and yet he was panicking and his mind racing. Perhaps they’d read his manuscript, perhaps they hated it, perhaps they planned to tell him to quit writing all together. His thoughts became less and less coherent as the moments ticked by until a strikingly handsome blonde man in a well-tailored suit opened the door, causing Ori to jump. 

“Oops, sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. Apologies for keeping you waiting, I’m Frerin Durin…” The blonde man held out his hand to Ori who took it automatically, this was not who he was expecting and apparently it showed. “Let me guess, Neil at the desk said Mr Durin and you were expecting the big one upstairs?” He said with a wink and Ori felt some of the tension leave him as he nodded. 

The man, Frerin, gave a self-depreciating sigh and a shrug as he sat down. “Thorin has that effect on people, he can be a little… intense. I’m his younger brother, the more personable one. I handle all new authors and the sales side of the business, Thorin deals with the strong handed side and our sweet little sister wields her iron whip in the editing department… It used to be even more confusing before she was married and when our father was still CEO.”

Ori found himself chuckling despite his earlier nerves and suddenly understood why Frerin Durin was in charge of the ‘people side’ of the business, he’d managed to put even Ori at ease within only a few minutes… not an easy task. 

“Now on to business, we’ve seen your currently published work and Mr. Baggins has sent us through an exert of your current manuscript. Mr Smith I will take a page out of my elder brother’s book and be blunt,” Ori gulped and waited for the hammer to fall… “We’re impressed, we like your writing style and the idea you’ve put forward with this manuscript. I understand it is part of a series?” 

Frerin held up a copy of one of Ori’s unpublished works, it was indeed part of a series but was not the book he’d been expecting Bilbo to send them. Ori wasn’t even finished the 4th book yet!

“Uhh yes, it is but I am still working on the others…” 

“Not a problem, we can stagger the releases enough to give you plenty of time to continue working at a reasonable pace even with the added publicity.”

“Publicity?” Ori squeaked… 

“Of Course! We need to get you out there, you have a decent fan base as it is but we think this is going to go international and we need you to be ready for that…”

“But I don’t…”

“Don’t worry, we’ve spoken to Mr Baggins and we’ll be working in collaboration. He will still be working as your editor and we will be sharing publishing rights. He will publish a limited collector’s edition of each of the books and then the final set while we maintain the main distributions, we’ve found this to be fair and manageable on all sides.” 

“I’m not sure…” Ori looked around but he felt mildly overwhelmed, if Bilbo was really okay with it and he wouldn’t have to change Publishers or Editors then maybe it would be okay…

“Just try it…” Frerin said with a wide and genuine smile, “It’s only for this one series, nothing else is locked in… What have you got to lose?” 

Worrying his bottom lip between his teeth Ori made a decision and with a decisive movement of his head he held out his hand to the other man. “I’ll give it my best…”


	4. Are you even trying?

“Dwalin, give it a rest! We don’t need facial recognition software in the foyer…” Thorn groused, looking at his cousin who glared at him in return. 

“That’s not what I’m saying and you know it! I’m talking about employee ID cards Thorin, it’s a very simple concept which practically every other business in Middle Bloody Earth is using except of course us.” 

“That’s because WE don’t need it, we know our employees. None of them would ever do wrong by Erebor…” Throin argued stubbornly but Dwalin gave him a meaningful look. 

They both knew how close Thorin’s grandfather, Dwalin and Balin’s great Uncle, had come to losing the entire business on a bad deal with the wrong snake of a man. 

“Alright, you’re head of security do as you see fit” Throin relented with a defeated sigh. 

“Thorin, I…” Dwalin paused looking at his cousin and suddenly he was filled with doubts, not something he was accustomed to. 

Was Thorin simply agreeing to get Dwalin off his back? Was he unneeded and unwanted here? He didn’t belong in Erebor, he was a soldier not a publisher and perhaps he’d outstayed his welcome already. Perhaps his kin were merely tolerating him because they felt duty bound to do to… perhaps…

“Stop that…” Thorin growled punching Dwalin in his good arm and shaking the larger man from his thoughts, he hadn’t even noticed his cousin leave his desk… he was slipping. 

“Stop what exactly?” Dwalin questioned with a raised brow and his patented poker face of disapproving boredom. 

“Whatever it was you were thinking, stop it. Even after all these years I can tell when you’re blaming and torturing yourself Dwalin. You’d get the same look whenever Dis or Frerin would so much as scrape their pinkie toes chasing after us. I may not see the world the way you do or know the hell you know but I do trust your judgement, even if I think it’s a bit over the top I know that you’d do anything to protect our family. That’s why you’re the only one I can trust with this…” 

“Wow, I think that is the least emotionally constipated I have ever seen you be…” interrupted a voice from the door and both men visibly sagged. “Oh, don’t stop on my account brother dear, were you about to propose to our cousin next? I wouldn’t mind, since it would keep him from disappearing again.” 

“Morning Dis,” Dwalin said with a sigh and held out an arm for the younger woman to duck under. Dis wasn’t a small woman by any accounts but Dwalin standing at a respectable 6’4 tended to make everyone seem smaller. Dis ducked companionably under his arm and he gave her a quick hug, he didn’t get to see her much though it was a lot more these days than it had been while he was in the military. “How are your monsters today?” 

“The editors, the authors or my children?” she asked in all seriousness and Dwalin laughed, Dis had always held that power over him. 

“The children, I know you’ve got the others well in hand.” Dwalin chuckled.

“Fili is currently sitting an Algebra test he swears he didn’t know about and Kili is hopefully not sleeping through his English presentation since he was up most of the night watching Fili study and trying to help…” Dis rolled her eyes but smiled, the antics of her boys always lifting the mood. 

At 10 years old Fili considered himself practically an adult and starting to look at his future goals and eventually taking over Erebor while Kili, 3 years his junior, was still looking for ways he and his brother might get up to mischief and turn all their relatives’ hair grey… well those that had hair anyway. 

“Look I know that what you’re doing here is all vitally important,” Dis said with only a hint of sarcasm, “but we’re supposed to be heading into a board meeting and I haven’t seen Frerin since he signed that new author an hour ago.” 

Both men shared a groan, Frerin was their people person and was great at what he did BUT he was incredibly flaky and impulsive. Thorin’s younger brother was the free spirit of the family and tended to go where the wind took him and leave a trail of trouble in his wake, Dis’ children idolised him. Frerin had refused to grow up and into the responsibility of being a Durin like his family, but they loved him all the same… even if they were forever bailing him out of difficult situations. 

“As long as he’s not causing trouble it’s fine, but to be on the safe side get someone to call the Author or his old Publisher and make sure he left the meeting without being dragged into Frerin’s orbit.” Thorin said with a sigh, Frerin was also good at bringing others along for a ride. 

“You know if you’d gone with the video cameras like I suggested this wouldn’t be a problem…” Dwalin commented casually, the heat of Thorin’s glare lost on him as Dis began to laugh. 

“Are you even trying to help?” Thorin growled, his usual brooding demeanour restored as he threw himself back into his chair. 

“Oh yes, he’s trying…” Dis offered “Very bloody trying!” and shaking with laughter the young woman swanned out of the room leaving her male relatives smiling in her wake. 

“She’s one of a kind your sister…” Dwalin chuckled… 

“Thank Mahal for that!” Thorin muttered before Dwalin also left, this time to go searching for his rogue cousin.


End file.
